Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner

Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner The Commissioner’s role is to advocate for fairness, access to services, and recognition for all veterans, regardless of service background.

The NI Veterans Commissioner's Office was established to provide a voice for veterans living in Northern Ireland to ensure fairness and safe access to services, working alongside the Veterans Welfare Service NI. The Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office (NIVCO) was established in 2020 as part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement, to ensure veterans living in Northern Ireland are pro

perly represented, understood, and supported. As of January 2025, the current Veterans Commissioner is David Johnstone, a former Royal Irish officer with 25 years of service, including operational deployment on Op TELIC. The office works in partnership with government, veteran organisations, and the wider community to help achieve the best outcomes for those who have served. Comments and constructive dialogue are welcomed. However, posts or comments considered unhelpful, abusive, offensive, or obscene will be removed.

06/06/2026

A wee thank you from NI Veterans Commissioner David Johnstone to everyone who supported and participated in the Somme 110 Walk this week.

Your generosity, encouragement, and support throughout the journey helped make this an incredibly special and memorable event in support of two fantastic causes.

Thank you to everyone who walked, donated, and cheered us on along the way. 💙

If you would like to support the walk, donations can still be made here:
🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

🚶What an immense ending to an extraordinary six days. 🚶Thank you to everyone who walked with us, supported us, and donat...
06/06/2026

🚶What an immense ending to an extraordinary six days. 🚶

Thank you to everyone who walked with us, supported us, and donated along the way. It’s been an amazing week walking in aid of two incredible charities The Somme Association & Somme Museum and the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.🚁

Here are a few photos from today, which concluded what has been an unforgettable challenge.📸

A special thank you must go to our Head of Office, Alan Murphy, for organising, coordinating, and making this event happen. Your hard work and dedication made it all possible.🙌

There’s still time to donate to these two amazing causes.

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here: 💙
🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

06/06/2026

Today marks the final day of our Somme 110 Walk, and also the 82nd Anniversary of D-Day.

As we set out on our final leg from Castlerock – Coleraine – Portstewart, we pause to remember the courage, sacrifice and selflessness of all those who went before us. Their bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

We walk today in their memory and in support of two incredible causes, The Somme Association & Somme Museum # and Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.

Lest We Forget. 🌺

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here:💙 🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

We Remember 🌺
06/06/2026

We Remember 🌺

05/06/2026

Day 5 is complete 🚶from Dungannon to Cookstown.

The weather was kind to us today, and we were delighted to have such a fantastic crowd join along the route. The camaraderie throughout the day was outstanding, and together we managed to raise just over £1,000 today alone in support of The Somme Association & Somme Museum and Air Ambulance Northern Ireland 🚁.

A sincere thank you to everyone who has supported us so far, the veterans who came out to walk alongside us, those who provided refreshments, everyone who donated, and all those who came out to cheer us on. Your support truly means a great deal.

Even the traffic joined in with a cheer at the finish!

There is still time to donate, and tomorrow we step off from the War Memorial in Castle Rock for our final day. We look forward to seeing you there for the last leg of the journey.

Thank you again for all your support.

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here:💙 🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

05/06/2026

Day five, and our penultimate day of the Somme 110 Walk that kicked off this morning from Dungannon War Memorial at 11am! 🚶‍♂️

If you see us along the route, give us a toot, a wave, 👋or a wee shout of support! And if you’re able to, we’d really appreciate a small donation, every penny makes a difference.

We’re raising funds for two fantastic charities: The Somme Association & Somme Museumt and Air Ambulance Northern Ireland 🚁. ❤️💛

Here’s to another great day of walking, craic, camaraderie, and supporting two amazing causes. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far! 🙌

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here:💙 🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

05/06/2026

Lucky To Walk Away

Rab talks about the injuries he came away with after being hit in Iraq and his recovery in hospital, and how, looking back, it’s frightening how lucky he was to walk away from it.

🎙️ The full episode is now live, listen wherever you get your podcasts:

https://nivco.podbean.com/e/from-telic-to-today

Today marks the penultimate day of our Somme 110 Walk 🚶 60 miles across six counties in six days. 💙Below is a short mont...
05/06/2026

Today marks the penultimate day of our Somme 110 Walk 🚶 60 miles across six counties in six days. 💙

Below is a short montage from yesterday’s efforts in Fermanagh, where the weather presented the occasional challenge, 🌧️ but overall we have remained very fortunate throughout the journey. ⛅️

Earlier in the morning, the NI Veterans Commissioner, David Johnstone, met with the Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, to provide an update on the veterans’ landscape here in Northern Ireland and, of course, to highlight the incredible community spirit and support shown throughout this latest challenge. 🚶

Although the Minister was unable to join us on the walk yesterday, she very kindly stopped to speak with the team after spotting us on the road to Enniskillen while travelling to another engagement.

A huge thank you to everyone who continues to walk with us, support us, and donate to two fantastic charities The Somme Association & Somme Museum and Air Ambulance Northern Ireland. Your encouragement and generosity mean a great deal to us all.

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here: 💙
🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

04/06/2026

And that’s Day 4 complete of our Somme 110 sponsored walk 👣💙

Today we crossed through Fermanagh in support of the Somme Association and Northern Ireland Air Ambulance🚁. It was a fantastic day from start to finish, with a brilliant send-off from the children and staff of Brookeborough Primary School 🙌, alongside coverage from UTV’s very own Paul Clark📹.

A huge thank you to all the veterans and supporters who walked with us today, everyone who has donated, and all those who have supported us along the route so far. The encouragement and kindness shown throughout this journey has been greatly appreciated by everyone taking part.

With only two days left, it has certainly been an adventure so far, despite a few challenging spells of rain today! 🌧️

Tomorrow we move into County Tyrone, starting out in Dungannon.

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here: 💙
🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

04/06/2026

And Day 4… we are off!! 👣💙

A fantastic send-off this morning with plenty of high fives from the children of Brookeborough Primary School 🙌 and a wee interview with UTV’s very own Paul Clarke to set us up nicely for the miles ahead.

The support we continue to receive along the route has been incredible and keeps everyone going strong each day. Thank you again to everyone who continues to walk, support and donate, it truly means a great deal to us all.

If you would like to support the walk, donations can be made here: 💙🌐 www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/5826916

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